gitp_empirefandomcom-20200214-history
Nezetkharras
Nezetkharras is a region conquered by the Tzaltec Empire in the 430s. Geography The lands to the east of Amocuallan mark the end of the verdant southlands of the eastern continent, as the earth cracks like broken glass into jagged cliffs and tumbledown peaks. Though it is but a prelude to the true range that marks the end of the known world, the Razor Peaks are still a formidable obstacle to travel, a fact that greatly complicated the Tzaltec invasion of 431. To this day, the mountains remain an impediment, though their jagged passes have been expanded through forced orcish labor and proper roads now lead to the region's capital. The Capital, which shares a name with the region, was raised in the ruins of the orc citadel that was destroyed during the war with the Tzalteca. The orc citadel, its name lost to history, was carved into the side of one of the Razor Peaks' most imposing mountains, and in its place is a massive crater, a cave burned from solid rock with cannon and Tzaltec fire. The new construction is a jarring shift, its buildings secure masonry painted red, its streets broad and airy. The outer walls still bear the iron crosses that crucified the last remnants of orcish resistance, and the flags that ripple in the mountain wind send a clear signal of Tzaltec dominance. Despite its grizzly foundations, it plays host to more than ten thousand subjugated orcs, and is a city of vast industry, where the precious gold of the mountains is brought to be smelted and shaped. At the base of the mountain that holds Nezetkharras lies the one true marvel of the region, a lake of rippling fire with neither apparent source nor fuel. The Livefire Font was once the center of religious life for the orcs of the region, and is now the subject of extensive study by Tzaltec priests and scientists. The unique properties of Livefire promise to be of great use to the empire, and a more permanent fortress-laboratory is being erected to best exploit the unique resource. People The land that would become Nezetkharras was once home to more than one hundred thousand orcs, possessed of a warlike spirit and a lust for conquest. Appropriate, as they stand six feet tall on average, with dark mustard skin and grey eyes, making them a physically formidable race. Though their armies were broken by the might of the Glazfell, they remained defiant as the Tzalteca marched on their strongholds. They were confident that they would outlast any siege, that aid would arrive from the other orc strongholds of the mountains. They expected diplomacy, hesitation, and curiosity. Put simply, they did not understand the Tzaltec. When the last of its armies was crushed, the orcs retreated to their mountain fastness, leaving only a narrow stone bridge for the Tzaltec to attack over. But rather than charging the gates or sending emissaries, the Tzaltec simply surrounded the mountain fortress and began their bombardment. Iron balls launched from bombards tore through the orcs walls, leaving holes for the trebuchet-launched orbs of Tzaltec fire to ignite the inner rooms. This bombardment proceeded unabated for more then three months, driving the orcs deeper and deeper underground, destroying their stores of food and water even as it claimed the lives of thousands. Eventually, their citadel had been reduced to naught but the foundations and the deepest dungeons, and they were forced to surrender. They were herded into camps, forced to reveal the location of the lesser villages throughout the region, but still they remained defiant. That was when the Teotlkan gave the order to decimate the population. In the space of a week, one out of every ten orcish men and women were put to the sword, their bodies dumped ignominiously in mass graves. Every orcish child was ripped from the arms of their mothers, relocated to massive Tzaltec work camps where every shred of their culture was stripped from them over a decade. A resistance sprang up, as was inevitable, and was met by even greater brutality on the part of the province's military government. Between the years 433 and 437, it is estimated that no less than eighteen thousand orcs were captured, tortured, and crucified. The rest were ground under the iron boot of Tzaltec slavery, forced to mine the rich gold deposits beneath the mountains for the pleasure of distant Tzalteclan. By the time the region was firmly under Tzaltec control, only forty-five thousand orcs remained, most of them from a generation that knew nothing but Tzaltec dominance. Today, Nezetkharras remains a slave-state, its population bred to serve and to die at the whims of the Teotlkan. Unlike the generational slaves of Tzalteclan, which are treated as befits livestock or favored pets, the orcs of Nezetkharras are attack dogs, taught to be fiercely loyal to Tzalteclan and allowed to bear arms as part of fanatical infantry units. Resources Tzaltec prospectors discovered rich veins of Gold within the Razor Peaks of Nezetkharras, and wasted little time in putting the orcs to work in vast and dangerous mine pits. Still, the greatest discovery in the region was the vast supply of Creeping Livefire. However, the near genocide of the initial invasion and shift towards industrialization has left very few orcs to tend to the business of gathering Food, making that a top priority. Category:Regions Category:Regions of Telluris